The iron framework a Is so mounted upon wheels x, that the whole machine can be moved from one drying-room to another. The motive power is in the first instance communicated to the shaft b, which, in its turn, sets in motion the shafts b, b, b„. These shafts carry the cams c, c„ which serve to depress the blocks as required. The smaller projections on the cams press the blocks down upon the surface of the pads which supply them with paint, while the larger projections lower them to the surface of the oloth to be printed, after the have been withdrawn. The frame h, h, h„ which bears the blocks g, g, g„ slides up and down on the fixed guide bars a, a, a„ The rods e, e, are furnished with set-screws, by means of which, their length, and consequently the level of the blocks, can be adjusted. The weight of the frames and blocks is counterbalanced by the weights k, k, k„. Weighted levers, with adjustable weights, can be advantageously substituted for these hanging weights. The floorcloth upon which the pattern is to be printed, euters the machine over the roller a. At p, it meets two punches, which punoh }-in. holes in the margin of the oloth. A front view of these punches is given in Fig. 723. They descend at the moment when the fabric is stationary, for the purpose of receiving the impression of the blocks. As the cloth progresses, it reaches the roller q, which is provided with holes corresponding with the pegs 0, upon which the fabrio is thus firmly fixed. A preferable method of doing this is by substituting a second couple of hollow punches for the perforated roller q. These punches press the cloth tightly upon the pegs, where it remains until it has passed through the machine. The pegs are fixed in the steel band 1, in the manner shown on the left in Fig. 724, which is a transverse section of the Land lying in the groove cut for it in the bed of the machine. The illustration on the right of Fig. 724 gives a side view of one of the pegs. The steel bands, one on each side of the machine, afford a means of keeping the fabric rigid while passing through, and enable it to bo adjusted accurately at the moment of printing. The forward motion is com municated to the cloth from the shaft b', through the rod and lever s'. The final adjustment is effected by the plunger t, which enters a recess in the ratchet-wheel r, and remains there while the blocks arc descending ; t also derives its motion from the auxiliary shaft b', through the rod t, and lever The bed of the machine, upon which the cloth is drawn forward, is rendered elastio by means of several thicknesses of flannel, covered with oilcloth or thin linoleum. The printing blocks g, which are of the same construction as those for hand printing, but slightly stronger, receive their colour from the pads u. These are padded and covered in the same way as for hand printing, and slide backwards and forwards on the guides i The motive power is com municated to them by the chains v, whose stops vi catch the projections on the framework bearing the pad. The chains are carried by the wheels w, w„ to which their ends are fixed. The reciprocating motion is produced by the mangle-wheel to, which is driven backwards and forwards by the pinion x.
This, in its turn, derives its motion from the wheel y, with which it is connected by a universal joint ; x works alternately on the inner and outer side of the mangle wheel to, and thus causes the pads to advance and retreat as required. The space between the stops v' allows the pads to pause at the end of their motion, while the blocks are de scending upon them. To diminish the shock caused by the sudden stoppage of the pads and their frames, indiarubber cushions, or me tallic springs, are fixed at each end of the slide upon which they move. The colour-pads are supplied with paint from the troughs z, which are provided with two scrapers, capable of ad justment to regulate the flow of colour. The form of scraper used for hand print ing (Figs. 717-719) has been successfully adapted to this machine.
Where patterns containing large surfaces of colour are to be printed, it is advisable to give the blocks a very slight rocking motion, while in contact with the printed surface; by this means, the paint is evenly distributed. When the cloth has passed through the machine, it is raised, by means of a roller covered with carding wire, to the top of the drying-stove, in which it is arranged in bights by hand. To avoid the damage occasioned by the wet painted surfaces coming into contact with each other when not racked off accurately, the printing-machine is furnished with a simple apparatus, which makes a mark upon the margin of the cloth, at intervals corresponding with the height of the drying buildings. The men entrusted with the racking-off of the cloth
have then only to bring each mark upon the top of a batten, and all loss from the above source is avoided. A machine of this con struction for six colours can print 15,000-18,000 sq. yds. weekly, and requires the attendance of two men and a lad, as well as two men for racking-off the cloth when printed, After printing, whether by hand or machine, the cloth is run over rollers into the stoves, where it is seasoned in the same way as plain linoleum. When sufficiently matured, the printed cloth is removed to the trimming-room, where the edges are cut straight by hand, with the help of straight-edges of iron or steel. The surface is also well washed with soap and water, to remove the dust which has accumulated during the various processes. Each piece is then rolled face inwards upon a round pole, and is ready for use.
In laying down linoleum, it is advisable to cement the edges to the floor. The cement used for this purpose is . thick solution of shellac in methylated spirits of wine. A small proportion of rosin is sometimes added ; but this does not Improve the quality, however much it may diminish the price.
In addition to its use for covering floors, an attempt has been made to employ linoleum as a covering for walls. A compound consisting of linoleum, cement, and wood-fibre (instead of ground cork) has lately been introduced under the names of "linoleum muralis" and " lincrusta." The ease with which this material can be moulded and embossed would render it peculiarly applicable to decorative purposes, did it not possess grave defects from a sanitary point of view. Wall coverings made of it are quite imporvious to air and prevent that infiltration of air through the walls of a room which is so essential to the well-being of its occupants. Besides this disadvautage, linoleum cement has a smell sui generis, which will sometimes last for years, and is not adapted to improve the air of a room, whose walls are covered with it. Another objection to the linoleum muralis is the large amount of lead it contains, although this defect might perhaps bo remedied.
much resembles linoleum in its composition, the chief differcuce in tho manufacture being the method of oxidizing the linseed-oil. For making corticine, the oil is boiled at a high temperature, until it begins to thicken. It is than mixed with tho ground cork, in the same manner as linoleum cement. Thero are two disadvantages in this method of oxidizing the oil. In the first instance, there is a considerable loss of weight, while there is a gain by the method used in making linoleum. Tho second and more serious defect in this process is the peculiar, sickly smell acquired by the oil during thickening. This odour is characteristic of corticine, and affords a ready means of dis tinguishing it from linoleum, from which it differs but little in other respects. Although the disagreeable smell of thickened oil can be easily removed at an early stage of the manufacture, this does not yet appear to have been done on a largo scale.
is also a kind of floorcloth in which oxidized linseed-oil forms tho matrix. It may be described as a coarse felt, mado of various fibrous substances, and saturated with linseed-oil. This oil is oxidized by heating the material in stoves at a much higher temperature than that necessary for either linoleum or eorticine. During the operation of stoving, very largo quantities of acrolein are given off, while the oil itself becomes tough and hard.
Kamptulicon; Cork are composed of comminuted cork, cemented together by indiarubber. Waste indiarubber of various kinds is first converted into a paste, by means of the ordinary solvents (see Indiarubber Manufactures). This is then mixed with the ground cork, in ordinary mixing-rollers. The mixture is rolled out into a sheet, which is afterwards vulcanized. Patterns can be printed upon it in the same way and by means of the same apparatus as are used for linoleum or oilcloth. In laying down kamptulicon, the whole of the lower side should be cemented to the floor with indiarubber cement, but even with this precaution, it will sometimes spread under the feet, producing the appearance known as "buckling." Owing to tho high price of indiarubber, kamptulicon is being rapidly superseded by those floorc]oths in which an elastic cement containing linseed-oil is substituted for the indiarubber.
(See Cork ; Oils.)